I'm moving across the country in the next 6 months and I need to rent a uHaul trailer. Uhaul doesn't have a hitch for the Mini. What are my options for trailer hitches and where can I buy them? I haven't seen any options for a 2012 S.

 

There are two hitch options for the MINI, Mini Do More and MiniFini. Each as it's advantages and disadvantages. That said, I don't think I would want to attempt to pull even the smallest UHaul trailer "across country" with my MINI. The tow capacity is 1000 lbs and I suspect the small UHaul trailer fully loaded would exceed that weight. Spend the extra money and rent a small van or truck with a wheel dollie to tow your MINI. It will be more expensive in the short term, but will save wear and tear on your motor, suspension, brakes, clutch, transmission, etc, that might cost way more to repair later on. Just my thoughts.

 

Even if you get the hitch and get the wiring hooked up uhaul might not event rent a trailer to you. I had this issue when I went to get a trailer to tow behind a ranger I had. So some reason since I was 2wd they said their computers would not rent me the trailer I knew I could tow.

 

I'm just considering it. I don't have a lot to haul. A mattress, a small computer desk, clothes, tv, a few tools, and a couple little dogs. Everything else I would be buying new when I arrive.

 

That's something to consider. I guess I'd have to go to uHaul and ask if they'd rent to me before I spent any $. It's $1400 to rent a truck.

 

When I try to select uHaul's "truck and towing" it says "We were unable to find any towing combination to fit your vehicle."

 

Hmmmm, maybe times have changed but, back in the early 80's I towed a small U-haul trailer (enclosed) from Denver to So Cal behind my 2.0 Porsche 914.

I took off the rear rubber bumper cover and attached the rental hitch (also from U-Haul) to the metal support under the cover, and I hauled a pretty heavy load of all my tools, stereo stuff and clothes.

You can also buy a hitch from Curt Mfr, but they're right U-Haul might not allow you to hook a trailer to it....

I had to bring a heavy (2000 lbs) piece of equipment from Arkansas to KC, and I had a 2005 Tundra with a factory tow package rated for 6,500 lbs to haul it with. I went to the local U-haul and all they had was a car trailer - which was fine - but I had to tell them what kind of car I was going to haul - which I wasn't of course. I couldn't think of a car around 2K, their computer kept spitting it back saying it was heavier than that - finally I said a classic Mini Cooper and that's what they wrote on the paper work!

Rather than call them, I'd go see the place you're trying to rent from and ask for the mgr, then talk to him directly.

 

It's a curious one.

I just opened the UHaul site and used a 2011 Mini Hardtop to drive their trailer selector (as it didn't know much about 2012s), which offered quite a few and some that shouldn't be picked (double-axle 6x12? Yikes!).

MiniDoMore claims 1400lbs towing capacity; UHaul's smallest covered trailer on their site (4x8) weighs 850 lbs. As you say, you haven't much to take, so likely you'd be within that range (between 850 and 1400 lbs total, so under 550lbs for the contents that you're loading, and would want to be).

A MINI with you in it is 2600lbs or more, so you're not into "tail wagging the dog" mode, where the trailer+contents exceeds the weight of the automobile.

Others who've pulled small camping, motorcycle, ATV, or jetski trailers with their MINI may weigh in on longer-term effects, I know I've seen a number of photos of these activities on MINI-centric websites.

I'm MINI-less at the moment, but have had my 1996 Miata pull those UHaul 4x8's a dozen times or so in the last few years. It's 1.8 liters, 130'ish hp, a little lighter than a MINI, and tows just fine within limits. UHaul posts 55mph max on their trailers, and my 5MT Miata is happier in 4th, not 5th, to pull on the freeway. Within those operating parameters, I've had no issues at all, beyond people pointing and staring about Miata abuse.

HTH.

 

Go to Harbor Freight and pick up a 4x8 trailer kit and make a box for it. The thing is rated around 1200 lbs. but weights in around a few hundred empty. Put it on Craigs List and sell it after you get there. Probably cheaper than doing the Ucrap thing.

http://www.harborfreight.com/1195-lb...els-90154.html

 

Most likely the key deciding factor will not the tow rating for the car but what the actual tongue weight rating, that is, what is the max weight allowed on the tongue of the trailer to the vehicle hitch.

-Kevin

 

If you must tow, that's not a bad idea. In fact you might not even need a box, as a good heavy-duty plastic tarp wrapped over and around everything could work well, provided it is wrapped tight and tied down well. Someone else mentioned the Curt hitch. My understanding is Curt doesn't have a hitch yet for the 2011 MY and beyond. They do have for 07-10 MY.

Someone else mentioned the big UHaul trailer. Here's how we rolled moving our son from Kentucky up to grad school at THE Ohio State University back in September. He has a 09 Clubman S, but we thought this would be a better solution. The trailer was completely full.

 

I would sell a few more items til you are down to clothes and dogs. Even then, a roof rack with a travel box will keep you sane.

 

I got the curt one on amazon for 130ish, worked great. Had uhual do the wiring. Like 200 or so installed. Had to cut a little whole in the rear plastic just above the bumper molding to accommodate the hitch.

 

Funny you should mention that. I bought one of these, put a 4'x8' piece on plywood on it and loaded a 1967 Austin Cooper on it! Towed it from NoCal to SoCal behind my Landcruiser. It was probably a bit overloaded, but did the job cheaply.

Wish I had a picture handy. It was quite a sight with that little white mini on a 4'x'8' piece of plywood behind an all white Landcruiser. Looked like the LandCruiser had a baby!!!

Here's the trailer at U-Haul to get if you go with the hitch, but check with them first to see if they will rent to you:

http://www.uhaul.com/Reservations/Eq....aspx?model=ST

Toss the mattress...

 

Why not rent a pick-up truck and pull your Mini behind it? One way rental means you don't put the wear/tear on your tranny etc. May be a little $ up front but I just wouldn't put a hitch on my Mini.

 

My friend suggested renting an SUV, then renting a trailer from Uhaul. It'd be about $500 + gas to rent an SUV and $380 to rent the trailer from Uhaul. That's way cheaper than $1400 + gas for the Uhaul truck, not including the trailer to tow the Mini.

The 2 of us can each drive a vehicle. My dogs can have the run of the SUV for the 24-36 hour road trip and my Mini will stay fur free.

 

Sounds like a plan...it's helpful if you can rent & return to the same place, the cost goes way down.

Fur free. That'd be nice. With three GSDs, my MINI will host one or more of them at some point since they really enjoy coming along to events. I may try that storage area liner to see if that helps. Our poor CX-7 had that "mouse fur" headliner, absolute velcro for dog hair, yeesh.

 

Good luck on your move; I think you have a much better plan now that is cost effective; be safe!

 

I'd sell those few items on craigslist and then pick up new ones via craigslist when you get there.

My company moved me from Florida to Texas and my boss commented that it'd probably be cheaper to just set all my stuff on fire and then buy new when I got to Texas. After seeing the bill for the movers, he was right.

 

"Stuff can rule your life. Don't let stuff rule your life!" - Wise Mini Owner

 

Mass to FL....I can't return to the same place. lol

I'm going to sell most of the stuff. I just have a Tempurpedic Cloud mattress that I refuse to leave behind. lol

 

Have you looked at UShip at all? It's like ebay, you post what you need moved and people will bid to transport it for you. Usually it's someone making the same journey with some extra space looking to recoup some gas money. They'll tell you how it'll be transported and everything.

Example: My friend bought a motorcycle across the country. He was connected via uship with a couple who lived near him and were buying a horse trailer in the same area as the bike. They bid and he paid them a fraction of what it would normally cost to ship a bike and it rode in their nice enclosed trailer all the way back to Texas.

I bet you could possibly find someone moving using a van or trailer with extra room who'd transport a mattress for cheap.

 

That's a great idea! Thanks!

 

That’s actually a good idea... you could sell it when you get there and they’re not that much in the first place.


All my minis have had hitches...




Have a cover over the hole but it’s there....

 

I completely understand that. My brother bought one of those last year and swears by it! That mattress kind of limits your options...

At OrangeCrush: That's one clean navel on your orange!